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Washtenaw Watchdogs
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On the Watchdogs Radar
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WCSO Lt. Brian Filipiak Arrested for Drunk Driving: Is this the way he wants his deputies to behave?     ​Lieutenant Brian Filipiak was arrested last month in Montmorency County for drunk driving  . . . more

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Non-profit Group Sues UM Officials for Sabotaging an Exchange Program with Egypt’s Al Azhar University  At a time when it is crucial to establish good relations with moderate voices in the Islamic world, the Washington based non-profit, World Leadership Program Institute, worked to establish an exchange of scholars between Egypt’s preeminent Islamic University, Al Azhar and young theological students from many faiths in . . . more


                              Never shake a baby, let him do it himself! - Video

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Torn Families Talks to the Regents about False Allegations of Child Abuse   False allegations of child abuse are tearing apart families and sending innocent people to prison. The University of Michigan and Mott Children’s Hospital play an important role in teaching new generations of medical personnel and performing research in child abuse. Their child abuse pediatricians . . . more


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Michigan Supreme Court: Vacates Conviction in People v Adam Stevens The Michigan Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Adam Stevens on July 23, 2015. He had been convicted of second degree murder in the death of . . . more
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Why Do We See So Many False Confessions in Shaken Baby Syndrome Cases?   Time after time, we see false confessions in SBS cases. We know that they are false because they are contradicted by the autopsy findings. Even if the police don’t get a confession, they win if they can get the suspect to change their story. Now the suspect is a liar . . . more

 


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Link-Missoulian: “Pathologist with problematic record 'un-appointed' as associate state medical examiner” However, correspondence that is part of a court record shows that Dale repeatedly demanded Bennett refrain from . . . more

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 Did Dr. Bethany Mohr Provide False Information in an          Accident Report?   Dr. Mohr is a child abuse pediatrician at the University of Michigan hospital who frequently testifies in court  about allegations of shaken baby syndrome. As an expert  witness, her honesty and credibility are particularly important to the jury. Thus, making a false report to police would be a serious ethical lapse for such an important . . . more

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Supporters of Joshua Burns’ Family March in the Brighton July 4th Parade   Joshua Burns stands falsely convicted of shaking his 10 week old baby, Naomi. While his appeal is proceeding, his supporters are trying to educate the public about how families are being torn apart  . . . more
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Manufacturing Murder: How the powerful dogma of shaken baby syndrome corrupts the justice system and destroys families
PictureRosanna Hoffmann with one of her daycare children after she was found not guilty
      A Dangerous Rush to Judgement of Child Abuse






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Please Support the Legislators Efforts to Hold the Universities Subject to OMA & FOIA
The Oversight & Ethics Committee is considering a joint resolution to put an initiative on the ballot that would amend the constitution to clarify that the state university boards are subject to the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act. 


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    UM Defensive End, Frank Clark was Arrested for Domestic Violence Saturday Night and is Dismissed from the Football Team

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Students and Supporters Picket the School of Social Work in Support of a Dismissed Black Student  The University of Michigan has faced decreasing minority enrollment since the state passed a constitutional amendment banning affirmative action at state universities. Some black students have also expressed that, once on campus, they do not feel welcome or supported. Last years “Hood Ratchet” party . . .  more
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Taylor Lewan was charged with misdemeanor assault after an incident that sent an Ohio State University football fan to the emergency room on the evening after the OSU/Michigan football game.


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Csont’e York: “I hit a guy”, Former UM Football Player Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault  Former UM football wide receiver, Csont’e York was caught on surveillance video outside of Scorekeeper’s bar on July 18, sucker punching a young man into unconsciousness. According to the prosecutor the victim had to undergo surgery to repair his jaw, broken in three places and have his jaw wired shut. . . . more



      
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Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) was born in 1971 in an article entitled “Infantile Subdural Haematoma and its Relationship to Whiplash Injuries . . . more

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    Is the Response to the Assault by UM Football Player, Csont'e York, Appropriate?  According to the news story posted by The Ann Arbor News, “It knocked out a tooth and broke his jaw in three places, requiring it to be wired shut and necessitating the temporary use of a breathing tube, according to the police . . .  more


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The Taylor Lewan Assault Allegations
The night of the University of Michigan / Ohio State football game, Taylor Lewan and friends went out to the Brown Jug Restaurant & Bar, arriving by taxi shortly after midnight. As they were arriving, Lewan’s party got into a “fight/argument” with a group of four Ohio State football fans. The . . . more



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Taylor Lewan Interrogation: The University investigated him regarding his alleged threats to Brendan Gibbons’ rape victim.


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Editorial: Federal Oversight of Sexual Assault Investigations is Needed  The Office of Civil Rights will be on campus this week to investigate the University’s handling of the Gibbons rape investigation.

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President Carter on Letterman: “One of the Worst Places in Our Country for Sexual Abuse is on College Campuses”  
 The finest universities in America are a place where girls are regularly sexually abused. Quite often their rapists are serial rapists who know that when they go to a college campus, they won’t be charged, they won’t be prosecuted because . . . more




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Detroit Free Press: “Public universities are wrongly making big decisions in private" “University boards are the only public bodies in Michigan that routinely meet in private, away from the scrutinizing eyes of the public. Only the formal vote has to be done in public, thanks to a university-friendly interpretation of the state Constitution by the Michigan Supreme Court 15 years ago that seemingly gives them immunity from the state’s Open Meetings Act.”

http://www.freep.com/article/20140330/OPINION05/303300044/Michigan-university-board-secrecy-closed-meetings


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Doctor Nearly Dies of an Overdose from Drugs Stolen at UM Hospital On December 6, 2013 an anesthesiology resident, Dr. Timothy Sutton, was found in full cardiac arrest in a bathroom in the Cardiovascular Center of the University of Michigan Hospitals. He had an empty syringe in his hand . . .  more

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Muslim Man, Former Washtenaw County Employee,
wins $1.2 Million Verdict for Discrimination

A Detroit jury awarded 56 year old Ali Aboubaker $1.2 million in damages for his wrongful termination as a maintenance worker for Washtenaw County . . . more





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What did Gibbons Tell his Friends about what Happened?
A blogger on a discussion board called the Detroit Sports Forum, who claims to be a former Michigan Daily reporter has made some interesting claims regarding the Brendan Gibbons story . . . more

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AnnArbor.com Editors killed the Brendan Gibbons Story
Dave Birkett, former AA.com sports reporter tweeted that he and Mike Rothstein tried to write the story about Brendan Gibbons arrest for rape his freshman year but his editors killed the story . . . . more


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Why was Jordan Dumars Tipped off by a University Official
that He was Under Police Investigation for Sexual Assault?

I would like to say up front that I am not presenting this case because I think that the prosecutor’s decision not to prosecute is wrong or that either suspect is guilty of sexual . . . more

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Will the University’s New Policy for the Safety of Minors on Campus Affect Recruiting for Athletics? Why is the Discussion Secret?  The University of Michigan rolled out a new policy last week, in response to the Penn State scandal, regarding the safety of minors on campus or in university sponsored programs . . . more
 


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Why didn't the University Move to Protect Brendan Gibbon’s Victim the way they did to Protect Chris Armstrong?              The University has finally made a determination that there is a preponderance of the evidence that Brendan Gibbons sexually assaulted a freshman student on . . . more

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First Day of Testimony in Drive-by Shooting Trial of Garland Johnson   On August 21, 2013 a drive by shooting occurred in Ypsilanti that resulted in a 5 hour manhunt for the suspects. Some details have previously been published by the Ann Arbor News . Two of the perpetrators made plea deals and one young teenage passenger in the car has never been charged . . . more


  


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Regents Refuse to Allow Public Comments at their Meeting to Elect a New President  The Regents met on Friday, January 24, 2013 to elect the 14th President of the University of Michigan. All of the meetings of the Presidential Search Committee had been held in secret sessions . . . more

 

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Fatal Car Crash that Killed Dillon Ptaszek was caused by “Super Drunk” driving   On September 13, 2013, the son of Washtenaw County Undersheriff, Mark Ptaszek, died after the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee he was driving left the roadway on I94 about 2:20 a.m., struck a construction light generator, overturned several times and caught fire. . . more 



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Presidential Myth: The Real Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan / Georgia Tech Football Game
By Douglas M. Smith

In 1932, Willis Ward became the first black football player to earn a varsity letter at the University of Michigan since George Jewett who played in 1890 & 1892. The legendary University . . . more

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HELP! I have been Banned from the Ann Arbor News  The editors of the Ann Arbor News have banned me from commenting on their news articles. This is all because I posted some comments critical of their censorship of commenters and their editorial decisions.This started with an article that they posted regarding the investigation by 


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UM Football Player, Taylor Lewan, Under Investigation for Assault after the Ohio State Football Game Taylor Lewan is under investigation by the Ann Arbor Police Department for an assault outside . . . more

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The Sheriff and his Staff have a Contentious Meeting with the Deputies Union to Discuss Derrick Jackson’s Letter to Judge Swartz  Sheriff Jerry Clayton, Derrick Jackson and Commander Dieter Heren attended a recent meeting of the deputies union, Police Officers Association . . . more

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New York Times: U.S. Colleges Finding Ideals Tested Abroad Many American University faculties are facing difficult questions when it comes to their university’s partnerships in China;  What does it mean to let our  . . . more

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 Drunk & Belligerent Lieutenant tries to pick up his Daughter at the Airport and Police are called  On July 21, 2013, Sheriff Department’s Lieutenant Brian Filipiak drove to the Wayne County Airport to pick up his daughter but was so drunk and belligerent that daughter refused . . .  more


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Sheriff’s Official Writes a Letter to Judge Swartz asking Leniency for Man Involved in Drive-by Shooting and who Took a Shot at Sheriff’s Deputies    The Sheriff Department’s Director of Community Engagement, Derrick Jackson, wrote a letter to Judge David Swartz that angered many, including Washtenaw County Prosecutor, Brian Mackie and Sheriff’s Deputies. The letter was . . . more

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County Prosecutors Office says UM Hospital is Not Reporting Crimes  The University of Michigan police applied to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office for charges of obstructing justice and witness intimidation against Captain Perry Spencer of the Hospital Security Services . . . more

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UPDATED 11/20/13  University of Michigan Loses on All Counts of its Motion to Dismiss the Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Former Graduate Student, Involved in Unionization Efforts, Sues University of Michigan for Failing to Deal with Sexual Harassment  
Jennifer Dibbern was a graduate student in Materials Science Engineering, from 2007  . . . more 

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County Board Passes Act 88 Millage, 8-1, and Taxpayers United Promises Lawsuit   

The County Board of Commissioners voted 8-1 (Dan Smith dissenting), to approve a property tax millage of .07 mills for economic development.  This will exceed the constitutional limit set by the Headlee Amendment but the County’s Corporate Counsel claims it is legal because of a loophole that  . . . more

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Two bills to strengthen FOIA need your support 

The Oversight Committee of the State House of Representatives are considering two bills that would strengthen the citizens right to freedom of information . . . more

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Dr. Wilkerson’s Allegations of Excessive Force and Battery against AAPD officer Kevin Warner will return to Circuit Court after the Court of Appeals Reverses the Dismissal 
Dr. Catherine Wilkerson was arrested and charged with obstructing and resisting a police officer and emergency medical personnel after a protest on the University of Michigan campus of a speech made by  . . . more


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“The Safety of Minors on Campus”: The Video the University of Michigan Doesn’t Want You to See   The University of Michigan’s administration does not want me to show you a video of remarks made by Athletic Camp Administrator Katie Miranto  about the lack of background checks for coaches who conduct summer sports camps on campus and other gaps in the safety protocols for children on campus . . . more


 




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Drunken Driving Arrest of University of Michigan football player, A.J. Williams: Coach Brady Hoke should not reinstate him until he gives up his fake I.D.
Sophomore starting defensive end, A.J. Williams  was arrested early Sunday morning (10/27/13) for running a stop sign and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also charged with possession of alcohol as a minor. He has been suspended from . . . more




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Ann Arbor Chronicle: Washtenaw Board Sued over Stand Your Ground
Board of Commissioners passes resolution to advocate repeal of Michigan’s Stand Your Ground Law.

More Public Comments on the Board’s Proposed Resolution to Repeal Michigan’s Stand Your Ground Law The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners wants to join the Ann Arbor City Council and others to pass a resolution to tell the legislature to repeal Michigan’s Stand Your Ground law and Act 319 of 1990, which prohibits  . . .  more




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    Board of Commissioners Raise Property Taxes to Give More Money for Economic Development   The Board gave preliminary approval at the October 17 meeting to raise property taxes using a loophole in the Headlee Amendment. The Headlee amendment to the State Constitution, passed in 1978, put a limit of 18 mills on property taxes unless . . . more

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Why does Fitz Toussaint feel the need to carry a “look-alike” handgun in Ann Arbor and other unanswered questions from his 2012 drunken driving arrest?
University of Michigan’s starting running back, Fitzgerald Toussaint, was arrested on July 22, 2012 for drunken driving, after he ran a red light . . . more


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 Michigan Taser Deaths since 2003  In approximately 2000, Taser International began to replace early Taser models up to the Air Taser with the M26 model and starting in 2003 by the X26. The electrical charge is different in these models so the medical reaction should differ. In some cases, the role of the Taser deployment in the subsequent death is unclear . . . more

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Man Sues the University of Michigan for False Arrest  Michael Dwayne Thomas was a student at Washtenaw Community College and a recent employee in the University of Michigan Medical Center’s cafeteria, when in June 2011, he was falsely identified as the perpetrator of an attempted robbery of the cafeteria by his former . . .more 

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The Board of Commissioners considers a proposal to support the repeal of the Michigan Stand Your Ground law and gun control legislation. 

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to consider a resolution to support the repeal of  . . . more

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    University of Michigan Drops Investigation of Theft of Narcotics and the Radiologic Technician goes on to Infect 46 people in 4 States with Hepatitis C.
    The Associated Press reported the guilty plea of David Kwiatkowski who worked at 4 hospitals in Michigan, including the University of Michigan . . . more

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Should there be a hiring freeze at the County until the new retirement benefits go into effect in January?

 A county employee told me that her manager had said that she wanted to fill as many vacant positions in her department before January 1, 2014 because it would be unfair to the new employee  . . . more  



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    Time Card Fraud at the Sheriff’s Department? 
The administrative assistant to the County Sheriff, Kathy Wyatt, performs many duties for the Sheriff. Some of her duties are administrative, which are paid for by the County, but she also assists the Sheriff in his election campaigns and works for the Democratic Party, which is supposed to be volunteer work.  There is also a grey zone of fundraising dinners . . .  more

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The Cover-up of the Arrest of University of Michigan Football player, Brendan Gibbons, for Rape

In 2009, Brendan Gibbons was a red shirt freshman field goal kicker for the University of Michigan football team. However, before his first varsity kick, he was arrested shortly after the Michigan/Ohio State football game in 2009, for raping an 18 yr. old freshman at a party in the Chi Psi fraternity . . . more 

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The Secret Deal with the Public Employees’ Unions that will have your Grandchildren Paying for their Retirement

All new employees of Washtenaw County, after January 1, 2014 will be enrolled in a defined contribution retirement plan (similar to a 401k). This avoids the problem of  . . . more

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Should the County Borrow $352 million to Fund Pensions & Retiree Healthcare Benefits? The state legislature passed a law to encourage governments to convert from defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution (401k) retirement accounts. That law 

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Board Chairman, Rabhi Yousef, pleads for new taxes

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Most Popular
  • The Cover-up of the Arrest of University of Michigan Football player, Brendan Gibbons, for Rape
  • Former Graduate Student, Involved in Unionization Efforts, Sues University of Michigan for Failing to Deal with Sexual Harassment  
  • Time Card Fraud at the Sheriff’s Department?
  • Why does Fitz Toussaint feel the need to carry a “look-alike” handgun in Ann Arbor and other unanswered questions from his 2012 drunken driving arrest?
  • Man Sues the University of Michigan for False Arrest   
  • University of Michigan Drops Investigation of Theft of Narcotics
This site and all it's content was researched, paid for and provided by Douglas Smith PhD.  a former professor in the College of Medicine, Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan.   Dr. Douglas Smith is the creator and  editor of WashtenawWatchdogs.com 
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